Why You Cannot Camp on the Ganga Beaches
The riverbank camping everybody searches for, why it stopped, and what replaced it.
A great deal of what is written about Rishikesh online describes pitching a tent on a white sand beach at the edge of the Ganga, waking up with the river a few steps away. That is a real description of how camping here used to work, and it is no longer how it works.
Riverbank camping on these stretches was stopped on environmental grounds — the cumulative effect of a large number of camps sitting directly on the banks, with the waste and sanitation that came with them, on a river that matters to a great many people for reasons that have nothing to do with adventure.
The camps did not disappear. They moved back from the water onto land above the bank, and that is what is being sold today when you book camping at Rishikesh.
Anyone whose picture of this trip is specifically a tent on sand at the water's edge. That is not on offer here any more, and a listing promising it is either stale or not legitimate.
Quick facts
What camping here looks like now
Swiss tents with proper beds and attached or shared washrooms, on terraced land in the hills above the river rather than on the sand. Most sites are a short walk or a short drive from a river access point, and the better ones have the view without being on the bank.
The bonfire, the meals, the music and the rafting combo are all unchanged. What has changed is the specific image of a tent pitched on sand at the water's edge.
How to read a camping listing
'Riverside camping' is used loosely and usually means a view of the river or a short walk to it. 'Beach camping' in current listings is either out-of-date copy or a site that should not be operating. Neither is worth an argument on arrival, so ask the direct question before you pay: how far is the tent from the water, and is there a washroom.
We will answer that specifically for any camp we book, including when the answer is a ten-minute walk uphill.
What this is actually better at
Being off the bank has made camping here more comfortable rather than less. Permanent sites have real beds, plumbing, electricity and kitchens, none of which a tent on sand had, and none of which has to be carried in and out.
It is also a good deal safer. The Ganga here can rise quickly, and a site above the bank does not have to be evacuated when it does.
What to carry
Gallery
Frequently asked questions
No. Camping directly on the Ganga's banks on these stretches is not permitted. Camps operate on land set back from the river, which is what a Rishikesh camping booking means today.
Getting here and getting around
Arrival and local transport are run by Triveni Cabs. These pages carry the fares and journey times.
- Delhi to Rishikesh cabPublished fares by vehicle
- Distance and drive timeRoute, stops and timing
- Dehradun airport transferNearest airport, about 20 km
- Rishikesh cab servicesGetting around once you are here
- Rishikesh sightseeingTemples, ghats and bridges by cab
- Weekend getaways from DelhiIf Rishikesh is one option among several
Journeys are booked with Triveni Cabs; the activity is booked here. Confirm the activity first — its reporting time decides when you need to travel.
